"We are not seeking to tell the story in a totally ancient or modern way, but want to bridge the past and the present through the play," says the director. "We stick to traditional costumes of the Tang Dynasty on one hand, and explore a refreshing visual presentation combined with modern elements at the same time. It is not only the story of how Li Shande completes the impossible, but it also indicates the challenges and choices that everyone is facing at different times."

One big challenge for Li Mengze and the performers in the play adaptation is how to present the full plotlines and different roles in two and a half hours. Rising theater star Song Tianshuo, who played the role of Li Shande at the Shanghai premiere, impressed the audience with an astonishing amount of movements and lines to show his great efforts on the transportation route in calculating and planning.

"Playing the role of Li Shande is exhausting but so enjoyable, although it is almost worth two plays in terms of the number of lines and running time," says Song, describing Li Shande as "reserved, kindhearted and virtuous". "What connected me most to the role is that he always sticks to his true heart and bottom-line principles. No matter who we are and what we do, we can all see ourselves reflected in this role."

Song's ideas echo with the production team. With the play telling the story of an ordinary character, they hope that each audience member — just like Li Shande — can realize how capable they are and what potential they have to deal with impossible situations, and thus gain courage, confidence and see the hope and beauty that life has to offer.

Ren Xueying, producer of the play and deputy general manager of Xi'an Performing Arts Group, said at the meeting: "Li Shande is every one of us who keeps running for life, bound by rules, but always bursts with resilience at the most critical moments."

Following its premiere in Shanghai, the play will hit the stage in Xi'an soon and many other cities across China this year, such as Ningbo and Hangzhou in Zhejiang province, Shenyang in Liaoning province, Kunshan in Jiangsu province, Haikou in Hainan province and Nanchang in Jiangxi province. Moreover, the team is looking to present the play on global stages, aiming to captivate overseas audiences with brilliant traditional Chinese culture, universal expressions and a shared inspiration for global youths when facing life's challenges.

"We saw young, knowledgeable fans of plays in Shanghai, and observed a flourishing theater scene across China in recent years. We are confident that more young audiences will go to theaters to see plays. The Litchi Road is produced by a young team, and we hope to strike a chord with more young audiences — not only in China, but also worldwide," says Ren.